Roland Guitar Synth GR-20 - Review
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
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Andrew Wasson from Creative Guitar Studio guides you through the Roland GR-20 Guitar Synth.
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I've been using a GR-20 for almost seven years, and it's worked out great. I play with a worship team in church, so it fills in very nicely with strings, organ, or whatever...and combining the synth with the guitar sounds (using a Tonelab EX), it's very versatile. Although the GR-55 is now the current model, I prefer this one so that I can more easily pick guitar and synth sounds on the fly.
Roland Guitar synths were the ones used on Iron Maiden's "Somewhere in Time" album
It doesn't use distance to measure pitch.
Wrong. As the people below were posting, this instrument measures the PITCH based of the audio signal of the guitar, not the distance between the fretted note and the bridge.
If the guitar is out of tune, the notes and chords being played are going to sound out of tune as well.
As for this video, I never looked into guitar synth's but this thing looks pretty awesome. I'll settle for my computer software for now, though! I have hundreds of VST synthesizers for FL Studio and Sonar.
DOES NO ONE ELSE NOTICE THAT HE JUST FUCKING PLAYED THE SAXAPHONE AND PIANO ON HIS GUITAR.
IS NO ONE ELSES MIND BLOWN
GK-3 SENSOR OPERATION:
I have to admit that piece of info. in my Vid. was a part of the sales pitch from the music store sales guy, and not explored any further by me! I just took it as the truth.
I wasn't able to find any info. about this on a quick Google search (?) so contact me with any good links please.
I'll keep everyone posted as I test this & look into this a lot further.
It's important that postings I place are always accurate to viewers & subscribers here.
Thanks,
- Andrew
starting at 8:58 Nathan East scat?
Well there is the GR-55 which which is very accurate, tad expensive but the only other well known option was the Terratec Axon 100 which I owned and sold as it had many problems with double triggering notes. Definitely prefer Rolands option, would like to get a Godin guitar with Synth Access to really make the most of guitar to MIDI. Great Review Cheers!
It's more like you have too little stuff on your guitar.
Great video, and quality. Thanks much!
patch at 10:07 actually sounds cool
Great review. Thanks!
@YourPunisherOfLife oh and there's some latency, so be aware. Get one, you'll love it!
Go to his website, he has explanations of all of his gear on there. They are hotrails & cool rails in the neck pos.
How hard is it to mount that pickup strip on a guitar ? Do you need screws or ... ?
I was not a fan of the GR20. Not having an LCD that shows the patch name is a weakness. Only having 2 pedals doesn't give one enough sounds instantly available at any given time. The sounds weren't any better than the GR33 (same engine?) and it was less configurable.
I'd recommend a used GR33 live and GI-20 --> computer based soft synths for studio. I did a GI-20->Fantom XR for a while... powerful but not convenient.
This is probablly the coolest fucking thing ever. Roland has really outdone theirselves this time.
Very Informative I thought, but here goes...
@dravidwake, Stop hating on the Americans for christ sake. @funtochill431 and visa versa for you man. Why all the nasty generalistic remarks. There's good, bad, and lazy on both sides of the ocean. We should be sticking together, not prodding each other. Brits, Americans, and Australians, in no particular order, should really be more friendly to one another... We're all related, on the most part. Even so..?!
open question:
My GR-20 and GK-3 pickup just arrived. Now I gotta figure out what guitar to use.
I have a beautiful pro-setup Epiphone Prophecy which I hate to *stick anything on*.. Roland said the fish may be damaged.
Then have a Jay Turser LP that has killer action, and I dont mind stciking something on
And a Jay Turser SG with really bad pickups.. Also has good action though.
and a Epi S800 which plays ok but has some buzz..
Whats important for guitar selection?
Thanks Crew!
This is brilliant.
It;s a pity you didn't play any chords on the hilarious "Doo" sound.
This is best explanation about GR20 ...
Thanks for that....
It's a cool device, but those woodwind and brass effects just sound awful. I was expecting it to be perfect (thats just impossible, or atleast I've never heard a synth replace a saxophone to a decent extent, but that was a sub-par job on Roland's part)
Down to preference really, not really too much or too little, some signature guitars, like Alexi Laio's has just 1 volume and 1 pickup. (i think) And Tom Morrello's has loads of cool gadgets, and Buckethead... well thats Buckethead lol
@CMaj7b5
hey dude sorry to intrude, coz ur question is for andrew, but checkout this video: "VG-99 V-Guitar System (1/5) at NAMM" . Its the demo for the VG-99. He has no pickups on the guitar he uses. only the GK.
i certaintly dont have the money for one of these things plus the only effects that really interest me are the synth and strings. does anyone know of any pedals that offer just those types of sounds??
what I would really want to know about GR-20 + GK3 pickup is: is this send velocity too, because I can not hear it clear from any of such reviews. thanks a lot if anyone would answer.
Everything sounds like something from a SNES game. Does the unit respond to playing dynamics, vibrato or bends at all?
Not a bad review, though it would have been more helpful if you played something that went well with each sound rather than playing the same general riffs over and over.
great guitarist but the sounds are cheesy as fuck! This is 90's midi. Can you use this guitar synth with digital synths such as the Virus Ti2?
the floor is an illusion
Astonishing!
@liquidayno The GK-3 is Pitch->HEX and MIDI note on/off there after, with control change info = DIGITAL
Hi. From I arrived home with my GR-20 to I was playing the first tones was less than an hour, and I even took time to change string also. In other woreds , its very easy , and NO you dont have to drill holes. I would never had bought this thing for my beloved Jaguar if I had to drill or screw anything to the body :-)
that thing is amazing!!!
Thats because it's a SYNTH
It makes sounds through synthesis so obviously it will sound fake
how much
Great overview. Is it possible to tune the guitar differently, like DADGAD or drop D? Thanks Andrew
@funtochill431 Watch your generalisations fella! The guys a tit, doesn't make all of UK ones!
@YourPunisherOfLife Yeah you can. Get ready for some serious step editing afterwords though. There's lots of phantom notes appear, nothing that can't be fixed. But it's AMAZING. Anything you can play (better slow and pitched up, than fast and low) can be recorded. He's not joking when he says about playing well, you have to be SO clean.
My question might be stupid but, is it possible to fix this on an Archtop?
could i control any midi synth with this unit and pickup....???/
like the synths on cubase etc...i e soft synths..drums etc... thanks..
yeah but youll need an midi interfacre to get your guitar sound to the pc
can you give me the tabs for that at 8:48 please?
What kind of amp you can use to play electric guitar and Roland Synth? amp for electric guitar or amp for synth? Thank you
does it work with a reg electric? if so, whats the difference
Will the pickup work straight into TC helicon's gear,like a keyboard synth.I have old GK1 stored somewhere,but have GK1 pickup with me.Is GK3 any better than GK2 pickup fpr triggering sensitivity? The sounds on my GK1 synth didn't knock me out ,and dont seem better now,Also best if phrase /attack like instrument you are imitating.
Will this work with a classical guitar ? With nylon strings ? Also will this connect to my PC and then directly into FL Studio's Piano Roll as a MIDI ?
Good demo thanks. Sorry so many Americans are prix.
There is a microprocessor in the Roland device that does pitch tracking on each string individually. The hex pickup detects the vibration of each string separately, that way the processor can limit the pitch tracking range to the two octaves the string can produce. When you hold down a string you are making it shorter, causing it to vibrate faster. However the pickup doesn't measure the length of the string. It only detects the change in string vibration rate (aka pitch).
How is this for midi out into soft ware synths? I'm going to get a Fishman Triple Play when it comes out this year
Mine never plays that smooth great job
Seems like a lot of people missed this question. What kind of amp do you use the GR-20 with ? Can a regular guitar amp make a bass sound without distorting the speakers ? I just spoke with someone @ Sweetwater w/regards to the GR-20S. Do you still need a GK-3 with it since the discription in most websites states 'no-pick-up'?
I think this thing could be used for gig's if you're not going to stomp all your weight onto it during a hardcore rock show. I think it would be cool for one song, use a couple of sounds off of it and then unplug it after that.
I would have alot of fun doing recordings with this thing. Right now I have alot of software synthesizers. Having a guitar to do the sounds instead would sound alot more realistic and it would be alot more fun to record with instead of drawing notes on the screen.
can u make music for video games with a gr 20
@malabarspyder A decent bridge, nice neck, watch your action. Don't fuss yourself about guitar sound, you'll end up just suing the synth and besides it goes through the unti anyway, which changes the tone. Cheap and cheerful will do. I used my Squire Telecaster, dedicated for MIDI Guitar and I love it!
Looking to get feedback from musicians who have gigged with this. Debating getting one of these or buying and learning keyboard. Is the sound quality the same or at least close enough? Don't need a toy, need a convincing instrument to make up for no keyboard in the working band I'm in. ALso, suggestiions for an amp?
Be careful not to damage your fish.
Ron
Thanks for these instructional videos.. but I think some of this stuff is a bit over my head... I am starting to explore some gadgets and do have a tc helicon Harmony G which I've only tried a bit, but it can make a performer sound awesome.. however, there is very little help for using this device available on the net and the user manual is frankly useless beyond explaining what each button to do.
Before I got the HG, I bought a Boss RC 20 XL.. my problem now is how to cable so I can use both.
is there techno?
you should cover some popular songs with this on youtube.
woohoo!! getting one of these tomorrow!! 483euros..not too bad, there normally 595! it's not second hand either..
@Tete5435 Most certainly!
Pat Metheny has, in addition to his dedicated Greco-Roland synth guitars, made great use of these kind of pickups on his archtops.
Are you a Metheny fan?
What has been your experience using it through outboard synth gear? Does the unit track well? What about latency issues? I am wanting to use this system to drive a Motif Rack, have you tried that? Any issues to be aware of?
I had a GR20 but sold it and bought a VG99. I liked the GR20 - reminded me of the Roland patches on many GS and GM keyboards.
The weird part for a guitar player is quantization. We're used to bending a note to the next note in a pretty much linear (its not truly linear but it can be approximated that way) way to the next note. But with this synth, since key instruments typically don't bend, a threshold has to be hit before the next note suddenly plays. Sort of a mind-#@$ for axe players!
could you do reviews on other effect pedals such as the Boss GT-10 for example. It'd be interesting to see your take on this pedal.
2 questions...what is the midi output like for playing external synths?
I also noticed you weren't doing any bends!..will this unit track bends?
its good. i wouldnt use the inbuild pathces more connect it do a synth and use it as a midi controller.
@peronpierwszy yes and it does program and control change. If I remember rightly, you can assign split ranges to it too. it's an entry level monster!
what happens with a pinch harmonic? Just a very high pitch flute or oboe or whatever sound you have chosen?
Hello is the audio on????
can you go though the install and set up of the pickup and the sensitivity settings on the unit..?
i test it with ableton live... good songs with midi control in live
thx for you video i have buy too.. GK3 and GR20
@4321micro yes u can friend
I just got one of these... guy's... believe me when I say they are a lot of fun, I mean it.... but if you have the money go for the gr55, it has a drum machine. However, for the money... you wont regret it
U really rock dude! I both play guitar and synth and you may have convinced me to tune a guitar with this piece of sh... euh of stuff!
What's that stuff you are playing with the yellow jacket effect?It sounds super-cool
holy shit cool. my bandmate got one of these...seeing it for the first time now.
I bought a sitar guitar and this thing still sounds better. Glad I havent got me a banjo guitar or steel resonator yet.
I know a guitar player who has one of these and it is bad ass!!! You can do a banjo, violin, etc.
Esta genial este sistetizador para guitarra, lo malo esta en el precio, casi inalcansable. . .
@altcraftstudio What if he doesn't know anyone named Brian? ;p j/k
what would you recommend for a good all around tube amp for practice/home use?
good job
Does this work outside standard tuning? Please say yes.
that pedal is so funny i think im going to get one
This is a great demonstration of the GR-20. I was going to sell my Strat with the built-in Roland pickup, but now i'm reconsidering. Thanks for posting!
Hi Andrew, thanks for the video. I have a GR-20 with my bass and it´s amazing and fun. Your explication was perfect for a great gear. Cheers from Chile.
9:45 sounds like the soundtrack for old school porn.
Haha not really cause it's MIDI so anything is possible!
I hear you can connect it to ROCKBAND 3!
Have you tried it?
another awesome video Andrew what a great toy that is
Guitar Center has them. I just got one tonight
I would love to know how well these work with bass.
could you loop something like this??
can you get pendulum-like leads out of this?
sounds cool but would u actually use it in recording when u could use a keyboard with better dynamics or buy every instrument with the money
i hace a question.. how much is the cost..?
hmm, I think I have the same drum set.
Hi Andrew. Great Demo! Would the GR-20 work on a bass guitar?
best solo i have ever heard in ages towards the end"!